Ray's Pizza

How many Ray's Pizzas are there in New York City? According to google, 567,000. There are "Ray's Original Pizza," "Famous Ray's Pizza," "World-Famous Original Ray's Pizza," "Another Ray's Pizza Down the Street from that Other Ray's" and "Look at me, I'm the real Ray and I will stand up Pizza." I may have made up the last two. The funny thing about this Ray phenomena is that I'm not entirely sure that I did.

Supposedly the original restaurant was opened by Ralph Cuomo at 27 Prince Street in 1959. There's no real way to verify the original location though. I might just start telling people that I did it to see if it will get me into all those cool clubs in lower Manhattan.

It's coming...

Begun in 1992, Restaurant Week has become a New York City institution. Over 260 restaurants throughout the five boroughs will offer special prix-fixe menus next week. Three-course lunches will go for $24.07 (don't ask me why the seven cents) and dinners for $35. I know, you New Yorkers already knew most of this and you non-New Yorkers hate when I rub this sort of thing in but consider this your reminder to book a reservation or move to the city. One of the two. Your choice. Click the link for a full list of participating restaurants.

Marshmallow Civil War

It's exactly what it sounds like. This Saturday in DUMBO there will be a "reenactment...of questionable accuracy." Click here for more info.

NYiR is Mad for Chicken

Marina of Italian STD clinic Venerio's fame turned me on to Mad for Chicken's Murray Hill location. Formerly known as Bon-Chon this place is a secret jewel in the midst of NYC souvenir shops.

Look for 314 5th Avenue and you'll find what appears to be an apartment building. Walk to the back of the lobby and up a flight of stairs and you'll magically enter this darkly-lit Korean restaurant that serves the best fried chicken in the city. That's right, New York is Ridiculous has finally (finally!) weighed in on the best fried chicken and it exists at Mad for Chicken.

Marina and I split the soy garlic sauce chicken dinner, which was 16 pieces for $23. A bit pricey for wings but exquisite. We also got the 2-liter container of beer pictured above. Both appeared within minutes and were delicious. I have to admit I wasn't in a beer-drinking mood until I saw the aquarium-esque equipment that surrounded the experience. It's like drinking refreshing beer from a lava lamp.

Mad for Chicken is a great date place. If you're both beer-loving chicken-wing eating dudes (NYiR officially recognizes that men AND women can be dudes who love chicken and beer).

Out of the Frying Pan and into the water

I know many New York is Ridiculous fans wonder where we keep our super secret office. Well, we won't tell you. But we do have all of our official staff meetings at the Frying Pan (as pictured above). Located at W 26th St & the West Side Highway it's a bar...but on a BOAT! Yes, T-Pain is all about that isht. BTdubs have you seen this new I am T-Pain iPhone app? That is ridiculous too.

I digress. We meet ON A BOAT! I got flippy floppies something something you're straight up making copies. That's what life is like on the Frying Pan now. Beers, burgers, lots of seating, motion sickness, more beer, and some dancing on the early side of the night. It wasn't always a place to party though. It used to be an active lightship. You can even read testimonials (whatever happened to friendster?) about what it was like back in the Great Depression. Check out this pic from a major crash that occurred in 1935:
It doesn't look like that now. Now it's in color. So check out the Frying Pan the next time you want to sit out on the water, split a bucket of beer with some friends, and have a good time. We'll see you there.

P.S. How good is Meatloaf's Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire?

La Bagel Delight...because using the masculine "el" would be incorrect spanish

Let's forget for a moment that there is absolutely no reason for the "la" on the title of this place to exist and focus on how wonderful the bagels are. I'm not going to say they're the best bagels in New York City (for fear of bagel snobs stoning me with three-day old sesames) but they are certainly awesome. There's five locations (122 Seventh Avenue,284 Seventh Avenue, 90 Court Street, 104 Front Street and 73 Lafayette Avenue). That's right observant fans, two of those La Bagel Delights are on my street. I go to both. They are both awesome.

While the bagels are all fine and good it's the employees that make this place a favorite spot. You walk up to pay and the cashier goes, "Want my cat?" And someone from across the store will run over and say, "You don't want her cat, man; it's ugly. It's an ugly cat." Then each employee will come out of some hiding spot to weigh in about whether or not you should adopt this woman's cat while you quietly chuckle with your five dollar bill held out as if asking for mercy.

I just want regular ice cream New York. Please, no more fro yo.

According to the scientists over at Google there are 2,080,000 frozen yogurt stores in New York City. Regular ice cream stores? 12.

I'm sure there's ice cream stores around it's just that with the eighteen fro yo places within one mile of my apartment (fo real) they seem to get lost in the crowd. In fact, every other store in da hood seems to get lost in the midst of the brightly colored Pinkberry, Yogomonster, Tasti D Lite, Red Mango, Yogurtland, Berrywild, Yoberry, Yorganic, Yogurt Mania, Village Yogurt and Yogonna Eat Dat? around. Ok, that last one we made up but if we didn't tell you ya woulda believed it.

Here's my problem with you frozen yogurt stores: you're delicious. Maybe it's the fact that I was told Tasti D Lite was real ice cream by my mother growing up, maybe it's the fact that there's 35743089574 toppings, but really it's probably because just that it hasn't taken a restraining order out on me. Unlike Lindsay Lohan who also loves fro yo (as showcased above). So thank you fro yo for taking over the city. You are doing a swell job running this place.

photo courtesy of websterismybitch.com

Russ and Daughters Deli

Special thanks to our guest blogger David Perrin for covering our first bagel-serving establishment. May there be many more posts on this important topic.

'Russ and Daughters' is not the name of the last porno I watched. But it should be. Located sorta in Loisaida on Houston's street (Lois Aida is actually a really sexy lady - I had a pinup of her in high school) this uberdeli is chock full of smelly stuff to rub on your bagels. I'm a fan of getting schmeared so that's what I get.

But you don't have to be a bialy to have fun with Russ and his daughters. Herring connoisseurs from around the world (mostly the Ukraine) come to sample the curried herring, the swedish matjes, and the scmaltz fillets. I'm getting that funny feeling inside just telling you about it! Look how happy this guy is:

They have dried fruits too. You can get a gift package called 'Kiss from the Sea' - how hot is that! Martha Stewart loves this place, which I'm sorta embarrassed about. But on those days when I'm not feeling manly enough... like I'm Heebin' but I'm not quite Super Heebin' then I head on down to Russ, tell his daughters to jack my Whitefish sandwich with Wasabi Flying Fish Roe and watch out ladies!! BOOM! This Reform Jew is ready to pepper his mackerel and make a blini outta dat ass!!!

For more information about Jews please click here or to learn how to dance at Russ and Daughters click here.

Do YOU have a something ridiculous about New York that you want to post about? OMG lettuce c it!

Drinks at the SoHo Grand

I love cocktails. I'm not ashamed to admit it. They are yummy. Particularly at the SoHo Grand Hotel Bar and Lounge. I went there for a hangover brunch feeling awful and then I met you, Bloody Mary at the SoHo Grand. You were my everything. You picked me up when I was down. You gave me fresh life and restored me to perfect health. You are a miracle and I am so glad you have entered my life.

I'm also a big fan of the SoHo's Perfect Ten which consists of "stolichnaya vanil, pineapple juice, lemon." I don't know what language "stolichnaya vanil" comes from but I'm pretty sure it can best be translated as "nectar of the loins of the gods." It also has a slew of secret ingredients that get me as excited as when I'm on a boat. As you may recall I'm not a big fan of expensive drinks but I lurve the Perfect Ten.

Also, while this is a high class joint I highly recommend going there in jeans and a t-shirt because then everyone else in their suits and party dresses think you're in a band. And that's awesome.

Models eat at Delicatessen, get foot rubs. I eat at delicatessen, get Tings.

Mark Amadei and Andrew Glassberg,

Food for $1.00

Call me old but I remember the day when lots of things only cost $1.00. Food, comics, strippers, you name it. $1.00. Not anymore. If you live in cities like Boston or Los Angeles or New Jersey you cannot get anything for a dollar these days.

Say what you will about New York City being ridiculously expensive and how high rent is or how expensive strippers are here. If you want to eat food and only have Abraham Lincoln in your pocket you can live like a king.

Note the $1.00 slice above. That's cool. But expected. Pizza can generally get away with being cheap. Now here's a good one on St. Marks:

Yep. A full falafel for a buck. And it's yummy. Then there's all the cheap hot dog stands where you can get a hot dog for a $1 and a soda for another. And pretzels! Those giant awesome pretzels are only $1 sometimes.

Plus there's that coffee that comes in the "We are happy to serve you" cups which you can get for a dollar anywhere unless you think yourself clever and want to own your own mug like that for $12 (follow the link hipster king).

In fact, I would go so far as to say that you can live off of $1.00 food that you buy off street vendors. I may even try it for a week. Maybe. Probably not. It's still cool though. I like hot dogs.

Veniero's

Despite what it sounds like Veniero's is not an Italian STD clinic. It is a bakery that sells cannolis that are delicious and cost $1. Yes. $1. At this price even my new friend from Blue & Gold can afford it. I would marry canolis if I could. It would be the only wedding I would have in my whole life and my hair would be ruined!

In other news I need a vacation and so I'm going AFK (LOL!) for a while and as a result this blog may suffer. I'll post when I can but normal three times a week fanblogging will resume on the 21st. So don't freak out.